1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to tires and more particularly to non-pneumatic tires suitable for off-the-road vehicles.
2. Discussion of the Background Information
Off-the-road (OTR) vehicles, also known as off-highway vehicles, are commonly used in rugged terrain for mining, excavation, construction, military applications, and other heavy industrial applications. OTR vehicles include tractors, trucks, loaders, dozers, graters, excavators, etc., and may have operational weights as high as 380 to 460 tons. Typically such OTR vehicles have several inflatable tires made of rubber. These applications require that each tire have properties such as being puncture-proof, able to carry relatively heavy loads, and good resistance to wear and tear. Conventional inflatable tires generally have short operational life spans of about six months. Further, the typical rugged operating environment for OTR vehicles exposes the tires to possible failures, such as punctures, blowouts, tears, and separation of the tire from the rim. Thus, the time and cost to maintain such OTR vehicles increases because the inflatable tires need to be replaced due to normal wear and tire failure. For mining vehicles, for example, shortages of suitable replacement tires may cause a mine operator to shut down production while waiting for new replacement tires. This may cause particular hardships for remotely located mines that receive sporadic or irregular shipments of new supplies.
While improvements in the durability of such inflatable tires continue to be made, such tires are still exposed to normal wear and failure. Thus, the need exists for tires suitable for OTR vehicles that overcome the shortcomings of conventional inflatable tires.